This invention relates to apparatus for use in giving athletes instruction and more particularly, an apparatus including mirror assemblies which permit an athlete to study his body movements for improving his performance.
Many devices exist in the prior art directed to the problem of teaching athletes proper body movements for various sports. These devices include apparatus which require the strapping of the athletes limbs to various moving elements of the apparatus which provides an artificial character to the instruction and forces rather than guides the athlete through the proper motions.
One prior art device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,550 to Wayfield. The Wayfield patent describes an apparatus which enables a swimmer to be guided through the various stages of instructions and to learn the various movements of the body and how to coordinate them. The apparatus comprises a cabinet adapted to receive the body of a swimmer and dimensioned to provide unobstructed use of the arms and legs in executing swimming strokes. The cabinet includes a plurality of fluid expelling nozzles appropriately located for releasing fluid under pressure in a timed relation to indicate to the swimmer appropriate coordination of the parts of the bodY in executing swimming strokes.
A swimming instruction device is also disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,528 to Garrett describing an apparatus on which a swimmer is supported at the correct level in the water under conditions in which both the swimmer and instructor may observe the arm and leg actions of the swimmer. The apparatus comprises a tank filled with water having a post appropriately located therein for supporting a swimmer at a desired level within the tank and leaving the arms and legs of the swimmer free to move. A series of windows and a system of mirrors are provided so that the instructor and swimmer, respectively, may observe the arm and leg movements in executing swimming strokes.
Owens, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,559 describes an apparatus for training players in baseball and other sports. The apparatus employs a mirror which permits the player to view all body movements while projecting the baIl toward the mirror as a target. The apparatus comprises a shock resistant mirror which may be variously mounted for angular adjustment to permit the player a full body view of his image. The mirror is suspended from a crossbar and may be positioned in an appropriate manner independently of a netting or like web surrounding the mirror.
Robertson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,494,000 describes a method and apparatus for teaching manual skills to golfers. Robertson provides a means for comparing the golfers body movements to follow as closely as possible the body movements of an expert performing the same stroke. This is accomplished by projecting the image of an expert performing a skill on a screen and superimposing on the continuously moving image of the expert the continuously moving image of the golfer performing the same skill as he endeavors to match his movements in time and position with those of the expert.